Govt labs asked to self-finance research projects; funds axed

The Ministry of Science and Technology (DST) has asked affiliated organisations to start ‘self-financing’ research projects, post monthly updates and ensure that research projects help the Central government meet its ‘social and economic objectives.’

Working on the ‘Dehradun Declaration’ of June this year whereby all laboratories signed up to “develop a revenue model in a business-like manner with a clear cost-benefit analysis,” the DST has made clear that it is short of funds and hence all the labs will have to pull up their socks and innovate ways to externally finance their projects with grants from companies and other sources.

Even the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has not been spared and instructed to generate half of its funds and post report cards to the Centre on how “each of the laboratory is focusing its resources on developing specific lines of inventions which would contribute to the social and economic objectives of the Narendra Modi government for the poor and the common man.”

However, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) will continue to be funded from the budget as both fall under the purview of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).